THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

       STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT ON THE TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY
                 OF THE NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY

March 5 marked the 25th anniversary of the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty (NPT). This historic arms control agreement -- to which 172 nations have now adhered --is the foundation of international efforts to stem the spread of nuclear weapons.

Last week, in a speech at the Nixon Center, I reaffirmed this nation's commitment to the goals and obligations of the NPT. This treaty strengthens our security, and that of all nations. It creates a dependable security environment that makes other arms control and disarmament measures possible. For these reasons, the United States strongly supports universal NPT membership.

Six weeks from now, an international conference in New York will consider extension of the NPT. The United States is firmly committed to the indefinite extension of the NPT without conditions. We will work closely with other parties to the treaty to achieve this objective.

The indefinite and unconditional extension of the NPT tops an ambitious global arms control agenda. Implementation of the START I treaty is already yielding dramatic reductions in nuclear forces. We seek early ratification of START II and the Chemical Weapons Convention. We have taken steps to accelerate the conclusion of a Comprehensive Test Ban treaty, and are pushing for a global ban on the production of fissile material for weapons. We seek to strengthen the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. These and other steps will significantly reduce the nuclear threat to America's cities and citizens.

# # #